


The Denalis

by BiologicalExperiment



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 12:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13031562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiologicalExperiment/pseuds/BiologicalExperiment
Summary: AU: Rising artists compete against one another for the opportunity to play with the famous The Denalis. As the winning group takes to the road, what will Bella discover as she tags along?Warnings: Femslash (Bella/Tanya/Irina/Kate endgame). No supernaturals. Slow burn.





	1. Let the Battle Begin

"Next up, ladies and gents, is Edward and the Hell-Raisers!" cried the announcer, hidden somewhere behind the stage. 

With a roar, the audience lit up the stadium. Quickly, they were brought back into a hushed silence as the sound of a piano suddenly gave way to a sorrow-filled, melodic voice. Together, the two sounds wove a haunted tune into the night air.

"I did everything I could to get to you,  
Without telling you why.  
All I needed was your heart  
Here, tonight"

Breaking the soft cadence, an eerie sound exploded through the speakers as the lyrical voice took on a frantic tempo in an effort to keep time as other instruments joined in.

"You asked for eternity,  
That I'd never leave your side  
Now and forever, you wanted a form of guarantee

"I should have walked away  
But, I longed to get inside  
It's become a burning obsession  
To know your every thought, your every desire

"I need to know, to ask a question  
Will you be my singer, will you be my muse?  
When the blackest night calls me home,  
Where the moonbeams kiss the meadow  
Alone, will you wait for me?

"You asked for eternity  
That I'd never leave your side  
Now and forever, you wanted a form of guarantee

"I wish I could hold you, safe in my arms  
I wish I could promise to protect you  
From the demon inside, but  
When I let go and release my cares  
Will you be sad when the nightmares don't end  
When the nightmares don't end

"I can't promise I will heal you  
With my eternal touch  
But give me your heart, I can stop all time  
Just close your eyes  
Let me make you mine  
Let me make you mine"

As the last word disappeared into the night, silence permeated the air before the crowd of sweaty bodies erupted into fanatical cheers and applause.

Emboldened by the reaction, the pianist rose from the wooden bench. With a faint kiss to his fingertips, Edward tossed his hand into the air at his fans. Internally delighted as a chorus of sighs slipped through the screams of longing, the pianist turned to the other members of his band whilst a smirk tugged at a full set of lips. Ignoring the eye-rolls he received, Edward sauntered across the stage as the curtains closed to allow the next group time to assemble.

Approaching the entrance, Edward's smirk faded into a soft smile as green eyes recognized the girl waiting at the curtain's edge. She was not much to look at in his opinion; her average height and build contained indistinguishable features, especially with her heart-shaped face and long, auburn locks, which cascaded between her shoulder blades. As a result, she easily blended in with the next fan. Instead, Edward's attraction rested on the simple fact that the girl would do anything for him, without a single thought of hesitation, and had so far shown that she would follow him throughout time. 

This assumption was reinforced by the unconditional adoration that poured from chocolate orbs as he was pulled towards her once more.

Catching the girl in his arms once he was close enough, Edward pulled Bella against his lanky and muscular form. With a quick shift of his arms, the pianist slipped one extremity about her lower back whilst tilting her head up with his free hand. Dipping just faintly to compromise for their near eight inch height difference, he kissed her roughly while ignoring the cat calls from the other bands behind the stage.

"Hey, babe, enjoy the performance?" a husky tone inquired as their lips parted.

Left breathless, Bella nodded as she ignored the blush that encompassed her face. "Yes, you were fantastic!" she reassured.

"Yeah, I know," Edward replied in a smug tone as lanky, muscular fingers slipped habitually through short, auburn tresses, causing the messy locks to stand on end even more. "Come on, let's find the others." Re-positioning his arm to drape about Bella's shoulders, the pianist steered the girl through the maze of bodies.

"He was fantastic? Don't you mean we were fantastic, Bella-bear?" a voice pouted as they approached the group, who were putting away their equipment.

Turning about to reply to the voice behind her, the girl in question let out a yelp as she was suddenly pulled away from her boyfriend only to be swallowed by a set of massive arms. Effortlessly caught in a tight embrace by a man the size of a large grizzly, Bella's response came out as a squeal when the hug turned into her being twirled about as if she weighed no more than a wet feather. Clutching onto a pair of broad shoulders, Bella refused to let go until her feet touched the ground once more. Even then, she continued to cling to the immense form as she was overcome by a fit of giggles.

"Don't worry, love. You were amazing," an angelic voice answered in place of Bella's when it was evident that the girl was incapable of responding at the moment.

Glancing up in appreciation, Bella detached herself while nodding in agreement. Averting her eyes as the owner of the voice took her spot, chocolate hues discreetly watched as the blonde woman leaned in and kissed the perpetrator's cheek. Towering over Bella's modest 5'6" height, at nearly 5'11", Bella noted that, despite the heels the model wore, Rosalie still came up short to the drummer's towering 6'5" build. Despite the height difference, the pair complemented each other well. With his boyish face topped with short-cropped, dark curly hair, Emmett's hulky frame provided the right amount of protection for his runway model of a girlfriend, who appeared to be composed of nothing but electric blue eyes and soft, creamy legs that went on for miles.

Breaking her attention from the couple, Bella moved back towards her own significant other. However, her return to Edward's protective embrace was interrupted as the brunette felt another arm drape over her shoulders.

"Do I get a kiss, too, for a job well done?"

Before she could reply, Bella felt herself ripped from the grasp and pulled into Edward's side.

"Not from her, James. Go find one of your groupies to make out with," the pianist growled, green eyes narrowing at the group's guitarist.

"Oh, come now, Eddie-boy. Sharing is caring," James teased, undisturbed by the response he had received. Winking an onyx eye at the blushing brunette, the man made his way past the group to put up his guitar.

Keeping an eye on the retreating form, Bella watched as the man with light brown hair stopped to converse with the group's bass player. Standing at 5'9 with glossy black hair, Laurent stood almost on par to James' faint height difference. Even so, their bodies contrasted considerably. Where Laurent had a slight olive tone to his medium build, James sported a tanned, muscular build acquired from his time spent outdoors hunting.

"Yes, but Edward only shares with me," another voice chimed in, returning the brunette's attention to the conversation taking place around her while effectively stealing her from Edward. 

Growling in frustration, Edward pivoted about only to quickly become amused as Bella was enveloped in Alice's embrace. Whereas Bella was of an average height, his younger sister barely topped 5'. Mixed with her energetic and consistent bouncing, ball of sunshine persona, Edward hardly denied the green-eyed fashionista. "Somehow I think everything I own is eventually claimed by you, pixie," Edward teased, pulling both girls into his arms.

Huffing at the nickname, Alice stuck out her tongue while returning the hug. "Of course everything is. I'm too adorable to not share with. Besides, Bella's my best friend, you have to share," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone, nodding as if to further vitalize her point. In the end, the jerky motion merely caused her black, short, spiky hair to bob in the air rather than provide any substantiates to her declaration.

About to cut in that she was not owned, nor did she have to be shared, Bella's protest fell silent as the announcer introduced the next band of the night, Wolfesbane. Excited, Bella excused herself from the argument between brother as the sound of a guitar cued the beginning of the performance. Aside from Alice, the lead singer, Jake, was her best friend. Having grown up together, Bella was ecstatic to see that the group had made it to the competition. 

By the time the brunette found her way onto the stage's side lines the song was already in full swing. Unable to process all of the words due to the erratic battle between guitarist and drummer, Bella sang along with the chorus as the lyrics escaped Jake's harsh vocals.

"Come lil' lady, don't be afraid  
This big, bad, wolf just wants to play  
So grab your toys and grab your gun  
We've gotta go, I'm on the run"

Distracted by the performance, Bella failed to register the footfalls coming up from behind until a pair of arms captured her waist. As a set of cold lips simultaneously pressed against the side of her neck, Bella let out a smalls scream. Thankful that she only received a couple of odd glances, Bella visibly relaxed as she realized Edward was her captor. Quickly returning the kiss with a peck to the man's cheek, Bella turned back round. Believing that he had come to watch with her, a slight frown formed as Edward's hands began to wander and his breath took on a lust-filled tone. Clearly he had other thoughts in mind.

"Come on, babe. Let's slip out back while everyone's distracted," he purred into the shell of Bella's ear, causing the girl to turn bright red.

"Edward, we can't. Besides, I really want to see Jake perform."

Growling at the sound of the boy's name, Edward tightened his embrace before turning the girl about. Seeing her hurt expression, Edward bit back his derogatory remarks about the Reservation Boys. Instead, he softened his touch as he lifted a hand to gently cup one cheek while his thumb brushed lightly against the girl's full lips. "You've seen him perform numerous times at his practices, Bella. I just wanted a chance to celebrate with you. You know, just the two of us," Edward explained, offering a crooked smile known to cause the brunette to swoon and cave whenever he wanted something.

About to protest, for she wanted to watch her friends perform on stage, Bella grunted instead as Alice appeared out of nowhere to tackle the quarreling lovers. "Come on, guys! This is the last group and we need to get into position. They're going to make the grand announcements soon!" 

Although she was disgruntled at being denied the opportunity to watch her friend's performance, Bella reluctantly conceded to Edward's plea and Alice's reasoning. She had, as Edward pointed out, seen them perform numerous times in practice. Likewise, Bella knew that she would have more chances in the up coming month since the Battle of the Bands had changed up their style this year. Rather than a one night event, the groups would compete against one another over the next month until one group remained. Surely missing one performance would not be the end of the world.

With that thought to ease her conscious, and the fact that should still listen, if not see, Bella followed Alice and Edward to their seats. Settling down with the bubbly pixie, Bella waited as the rest of the Hell-Raisers made their way over. Along with Edward, the pianist and leader of the group, came James the guitarist, Laurent on base, and the drummer, Emmett, with his girlfriend, Rosalie. Glancing around, chocolate orbs looked around for the blonde of the group.

"Alice, where's Jasper?" Bella whispered, leaning in close to the girl.

"Looking for me, darling?" a voice inquired, his amused tone laced in a thick southern drawl.

Tilting her head back to look up at the 6'3", lanky blonde, Bella smiled at Rosalie's brother and Alice's boyfriend. "Hi, Jasper," Bella greeted as the lead singer and backup guitarist settled into Alice's suddenly vacant seat before pulling his girlfriend into his lap.

"Hello, Bella," Jasper greeted. "Did you need something?"

"Oh. No, I was just wondering where you were."

"Ah. I was fetching this," Jasper explained, pulling out a tube filled with cotton candy decorated in a flower design. Passing the sugary substance to Alice, who squealed in delight, Jasper chuckled as he was rewarded with a quick kiss. Shifting his hold, the Texan settled into the chair as Alice turned about. Snuggling into his broad form, Alice prepared herself for the sugar coma to come.

Chuckling at her friend's obvious excitement, Bella shifted in her chair to lean happily against Edward as the announcer made his final appearance.

"Alright ladies and gents! Let's give a big round of applause to each of our contestants out here tonight. A job well done, well done indeed!" The baritone voice called into the mic as he reintroduced each group. 

The man's enthusiasm paralleled Alice's as he encouraged the crowd to cheer for their favorite group of the night while reminding them that the results would be based off the crowd's response and the unknown judges' opinions. As each name was called, the groups slowly shuffled into the winning order until the top five bands, who would move on to the next round, were tallied.

"Alrighty! We now have our top five contestants! Let me remind you, each of these groups will move to the next round and have a chance to show us what they're made of. In the end, the top group will not only be selected to go on tour with the delectable Denalis, but they will also be offered a record contract with the world-renowned Volturi Record Company. So without further ado, coming in fifth place we have The Yorkie Newts!"

Surprised, Bella cheered for the group. Old high school friends, Bella was happy that Mike, Eric, Ben, and Tyler had made it to the top. What surprised her even more next was the following group.

"Coming in fourth place The Diva Princesses!"

There were only two girls crazy enough to claim such a title. Sure enough, Bella caught sight of Lauren's platinum blonde hair and Jessica's brown as the girls blew kisses at their admirers. Bella was even more surprised to see them there. She had been pretty diligent about watching each group and could have sworn she would have remembered a performance such as theirs based on how they were dressed. In either case, Bella resigned herself to congratulate them later.

"Coming in third place Victoria Nyte!"

Curious, Bella looked over to see the soloist performer leaning against the fence, arms crossed over her chest. Guessing from the distance, Bella concluded the woman was about her height, but was graced with long, curly, brilliant orange hair that shone like fire even in the lamp light. The woman's pose held that of a seductive, feline grace, which reminded Bella of the woman's performance. The high soprano had contracted with her fierce appearance, but her lethal dance style exposed her agility and poise.

"And in second place we have Wolfesbane!"

Tugged out of her thoughts by the next announcement, Bella let out a loud whistle. Chuckling, she watched as the pack of men began to jump in their seats a little ways off before Jake was tackled by a couple of his friends. The obstreperous cheers slowly dissipated as the announcer cleared his throat.

"And in first place, we have the final group that will be moving forward: Edward and The Hell-Raisers!" the man concluded, causing loud cheers to erupt around Bella as her friends shouted in delight.

Elated, Bella joined the commotion until she was pulled into a rough kiss by Edward. Bella clung to his form until quickly remembering where she was. Collecting herself, Bella broke the kiss and pulled away even as the exhilaration of the announcements continued to pump through her veins. The sudden distance went unnoticed by Edward, much to her relief, as he turned to share his glee with those around them. Happy for the distraction, Bella turned to go congratulate her friends. Spotting Angela over in the distance with her boyfriend, Eric, Bella tried to squeeze between Emmett lifting Jasper into the air, arms crushed to the man's sides. 

Before she could make more than a step in the girl's waving direction, Bella was spun back around. "Come on, babe! We're going to celebrate!" Edward exclaimed, unmindful of his girlfriend's intentions. Catching her hand with his, Bella was half dragged, half led out of the stadium with the rest of the band. 

Sighing, Bella decided she could congratulate everyone in the morning, or perhaps afternoon. Something told her she was going to have a long night, and she still had class to look forward to in the morning.


	2. Denali Party

After the concert ended, Bella joined Edward and the gang at a party thrown by the Denali's in celebration of the top five bands and company. In all retrospect, Bella should have known that more than just the invited groups would make an appearance. The brunette really did not care, for it was not her party and she had no interest in going to begin with; she had simply tagged along as Edward's date to put a halt to his insistent pleading. In complete honesty, Bella was hoping that the large mass of people would give her an early out.

It was now almost three in the morning and she was still at the party. 

Bella realized that tonight was one of celebration, but unlike most of the others in their group, Bella did have responsibilities to attend to in the morning. The brunette had no problem commemorating Edward's success, she simply hoped an extended celebration could have waited until another day. How wrong she had been. She had also been a bit of an idealist in thinking that she could nap in a spare bedroom or curl up and cuddle with Edward on a couch as the night grew long.

Hours into the party, Edward had disappeared. Figuring that they were bypassing each other by searching for one another, Bella eventually parked herself in a corner in the hopes that he would find her. As the minutes rolled into another hour, brown hues passed the time by watching those who had turned the living room into a dance floor. She would have liked to dance with Edward, especially to the slower songs; he did not seem to mind that she had three left feet during those times.

As her legs grew tired of restlessly shifting to maintain blood flow, Bella concluded that the prospect of dancing was out and that Edward was having no luck finding her. Taking the task upon herself, and secretly wanting a quieter place to hide until time to leave, Bella excused herself from the drunk frat-boy attempting to flirt with her. 

Deciding to work her way from inside the house to the lawn, Bella squeezed her way past the throng of bodies and headed up the stairs. Having explored the house already in her prior search for Edward, Bella was still impressed and overwhelmed by the sheer size of the facility. 

After walking in on multiple individuals in various stages of undress, despite her attempt to be polite and knock first, Bella concluded Edward was not upstairs. She had not seen him in any of the open rooms and heard no response from him in those that were locked. With no desire to imagine herself and Edward having sex in such an open event and desiring even less to play witness to the multiple couplings and group activities taking place around her inside the house, Bella concluded she would be safer looking for Edward outside.

That thought had been short lived as well. With no sign of her boyfriend and the unabashed loitering outside, Bella found herself wandering down to the lake in the search of sanctuary. Sighing heavily, the brunette settled on the damp grass out by the lake. She was happy to finally be away from the mass of intoxicated individuals. Of those who were not acting out in a ridiculous fashion of sorts, Bella noted that they were passed out either inside the mansion or sprawled out on the lawn. Both terrains were dangerous territories for the weary; anyone found asleep now sported graphic artistry constructed in permanent sharpie and were often missing articles of clothing.

Sitting by the water's edge, Bella finally felt herself relax as the distance between her and the house dampened the noise rolling across the lawn into a dull thrum. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Bella wrapped her arms around her limbs in a frugal attempt to fight back the chills that crept along her extremities. 

Growing lost in her thoughts as she watched the moonlight glisten on the water's surface while the wind created ripples at times, Bella began to hum. Her voice soft and tranquil danced on the night air, carrying the words across the glassy surface.

"The sound of the ocean's  
Like a siren's song  
The beat of the waves  
Just strumming along

"She's calling me  
Calling me  
Whispering, softly

"Come on, darlin'  
Dive right in  
Don't be afraid  
It's a midnight swim

"She's tantalizing  
Tempting so  
Gotta say, no, no  
No, no

"For, the sound of the ocean's  
Like a siren's song  
The beat of the waves  
Just strumming along

"She's calling me  
Calling me  
Whispering, softly"

With a final sigh to accompany the last note, Bella nestled the side of her head against the rough denim covering her knees. Although she knew it was not her house, nor her property, the brunette wished she took the time to snag one of the blankets lounging around. The night chill contradicted the fact that it was still late summer and Bella longed for the warmth.

As if someone had read her thoughts, Bella was suddenly enveloped in a heated embrace. 

Startled, Bella jerked her head up. Disrupting the item that had been dumped about her shoulders, Bella noticed that the source of contact was actually a large and preheated jacket. Brown eyes glancing to the side, they slowly trailed up a pair of long legs; if Bella had to guess, the woman would probably stand a few inches shorter than her if she was to remove her heels. Rather than smile in gratitude as her eyes rose to the woman's face, Bella could only continue to stare. She was stunned by the woman's beauty, especially with how her straight, pale blonde hair, which cut off at her chin, almost appeared silver in moonlight. 

"You looked cold," the woman explained, her voice heavily accented.

The simple remark helped break Bella out of her stare. "Oh, thank you. But I can't take your coat," Bella reluctantly replied. Sliding the warmth from her shoulders, she offered the article back to the woman hovering over her. "Here," Bella offered. As the jacket lingered in her outstretched hand, Bella's brown furrowed. "You should take it back, you'll get cold."

Laughing quietly, the woman simply shook her head. "No, miláčku, it is for you. I enjoy the cold. Do not worry about me."

The woman's chuckle was more than worth her being cold, Bella concluded as she muttered a quiet thank you. Tugging the offering of warmth back around her shoulders, Bella pulled the jacket closer around her while discretely inhaling the calming scent that seeped from the leather. 

"You are most welcome. May I?" the woman inquired, waving at the patch of grass beside Bella.

Nodding her head, Bella scooted to the side as if to make room, much to the blonde's amusement. Settling down on the grass beside the brunette, the woman stretched her legs out in front of her, allowing her ankles to cross as her arms rested behind her to support a majority of her weight. "I do not mean to be forward or let on that I was listening in, but you have a lovely voice," the woman remarked as the silence stretched on.

Feeling her heart stop, Bella was uncertain whether her death would be quicker for the ground to swallow her whole or for her to jump in the lake and try to drown. The woman did not have a horrible voice, quiet the opposite actually. However, she could not contain her embarrassment at the prospect that someone had overheard her. Beyond the secure walls of her shower, the woman never sang around others, not since messing up during her grade school concert. Moving from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington in high school helped ensure that no one ever found out. This extended into her college years as she took precautions to ensure she had a liable excuse when placed in a predicament where she had to sing.

Bella decided that hiding her face in her knees in the hopes of suffocating was the quickest option of death. 

Seeing the girl's obvious discomfort, the woman hid a smile and changed tactics. "May I ask you a question?"

Nodding, Bella remained silent. She did not want to open her mouth again.

"Why are you out here all alone? Are you not enjoying the party?" the woman inquired.

Surprised by the change of topics, Bella took a moment before lifting her head with a slight shrug. Should she admit that she was not, that she actually wanted to go home and sleep? Was it okay to confess to a stranger that she had been abandoned by her boyfriend and was trapped for the foreseeable future? Deciding that those options were of poor etiquette but feeling she should offer some sort of response for the consideration the woman had shown her, Bella settled on a half truth. "I wanted some fresh air."

"I see," the woman replied. Studying the brunette, blue eyes smiled softly as the woman began to squirm beneath her gaze. Redirecting her stare to the faint dusting of stars gracing the sky above, the woman broke the silence once more. "It is a beautiful night for star gazing, but surely a lovely girl like you would not be enjoying the sight all alone."

"Well, no," Bella admitted as she guessed what the blonde woman was implying. "My boyfriend's off with the others at the party, so…yeah," Bella trailed off. Having turned her attention to the stars as well, Bella missed the frown that graced the woman's features. By the time she turned her focus back to her companion, Bella was met with the same pleasant smile.

"Boyfriend, hm? Apart of one of the bands then? Certainly, I would have remembered a voice like yours on stage tonight."

Blushing again at the praise, Bella nodded her head bashfully before clearing her throat. "Yes, he's part of Edward and the Hell-Raisers."

"Ah, yes. I remember them. Came in first, yes?"

"Yep," Bella smiled.

The woman returned the smile while raising a hand to gently tuck a strand of auburn hair behind Bella's hair. The action caused Bella's blush to deepen even further. "Then that means you will be coming to the other competitions," the blonde stated more than asked. Even so, Bella nodded, not trusting her voice just yet.

"Wonderful!"

Before Bella could question why the woman was so enthused by her answer, the blonde tilted her head as if listening to something.

"I must be on my way. I will see you soon, miláčku," the woman whispered quietly while pressing a pair of cold lips against Bella's cheek. With that, the woman disappeared into the night, leaving the brunette sitting alone beneath the moonlight.

Confused, Bella touched her cheek with her fingertips. 

Contemplating on following the woman, Bella suddenly jumped as she heard a noise coming up from behind her in the opposite direction. Turning her head, Bella watched as a drunk Edward made his way over to her. Informing her that it was time to go, Bella bit back a sigh of frustration. She almost longed to stay for a bit longer, if nothing else than to find the woman. However, taking in Edward's current state, Bella resigned herself to get them both home. She had class in less than three hours and Edward needed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> miláčku: darling


End file.
